The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for drying long fibre hay in preparation for foreign shipment.
The practise has developed in North American to form long fibre hay into bales. Foreign feed importing countries, such as Japan, are prepared to pay a premium price for long fibre hay. However, there is presently no effective way of drying the bales sufficiently to prevent substantial spoilage during transport.
What is required is a more effective manner of drying long fibre hay for shipment to foreign feed importing countries.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for drying long fibre hay. A first step involves providing round bales of long fibre hay. A second step involves separating the bales to form a loose mass of long fibre hay. A third step involves feeding the loose mass of long fibre hay into a rotary dehydration drum. A fourth step involves separating the loose mass of long fibre hay from air containing entrained moisture by passing the long fibre hay through a cyclone separator with a first stream of air passing to an exhaust and a second stream of the loose mass of long fibre hay passing into an air lock. A fifth step involves cooling the loose mass of long fibre hay. A sixth step involves passing the loose mass of long fibre hay through a hay baler, whereby the loose mass of long fibre hay is formed back into bales.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for drying long fibre hay which includes a hay bale separator adapted to separate a round bale into a loose mass of long fibre hay. A rotary dehydration drum is provided. A conveyor conveys the loose mass long fibre hay from the separator to the rotary dehydration drum. There is also provided a cyclone separator, an exhaust and an air lock. The cyclone separator is adapted to remove air containing entrained moisture from the loose mass of long fibre hay. Ducting is provided for conveying the loose mass of long fibre hay containing air from the rotary dehydration drum to the cyclone separator, delivering a first stream of only air to the exhaust and delivering a second stream of only the loose mass of long fibre hay to the air lock. Means is provided for cooling the loose mass of long fibre hay. A baler is provided which is adapted to form the loose mass of long fibre hay back into bales.